Cheap and well cared for meat? Can we have it all?

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lindseykim13
lindseykim13 Posts: 2,978 Forumite
in Green & ethical MoneySaving
I think anyone who watched hughs prog will be thinking differently now when they buy there meat, so was wondering about other meat options, such as wood pigeon and game, are they cheaper and have a better life?

I seen the wood pigeon on jamie oliver and apparantly has a nice life etc, has anyone found these at the butchers and how expensive are they, and other unusual meats that others know about? would be interesting to look at alternitives.

Thanks
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  • ~Chameleon~
    ~Chameleon~ Posts: 11,956 Forumite
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    I'm currently looking at veal as an option but it seems to be quite expensive so would have to be a rare treat rather than a staple food unfortunately :(

    Lots of other alternative meat options on this site though and I have eaten kangaroo, ostrich and wild boar before now and it was delicious :drool:

    http://www.alternativemeats.co.uk/asp/default.asp
    “You can please some of the people some of the time, all of the people some of the time, some of the people all of the time, but you can never please all of the people all of the time.”
  • HariboJunkie
    HariboJunkie Posts: 7,740 Forumite
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    ~Chameleon~ wrote: »
    I'm currently looking at veal as an option but it seems to be quite expensive so would have to be a rare treat rather than a staple food unfortunately :(

    Lots of other alternative meat options on this site though and I have eaten kangaroo, ostrich and wild boar before now and it was delicious :drool:

    http://www.alternativemeats.co.uk/asp/default.asp

    I didn't think veal calves were well cared for. :confused:
  • Quasar
    Quasar Posts: 121,720 Forumite
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    The solution is to eat less meat all round. Many people eat meat every day, and we don't really need that, in fact too much meat is not good for our health.

    I eat a steak once a month, chicken once a month, and fish about once a week. Which means that what little I buy I can buy organic.
    Be careful who you open up to. Today it's ears, tomorrow it's mouth.
  • HariboJunkie
    HariboJunkie Posts: 7,740 Forumite
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    Quasar wrote: »
    The solution is to eat less meat all round. Many people eat meat every day, and we don't really need that, in fact too much meat is not good for our health.

    I eat a steak once a month, chicken once a month, and fish about once a week. Which means that what little I buy I can buy organic.

    Do you mean organic, free range Q? :p
  • Quasar
    Quasar Posts: 121,720 Forumite
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    HariboJunkie wrote: »
    Do you mean organic, free range Q? :p


    Oooopsy.... of course :eek: :o There are some excellent shops here in West London, selling certified organic/free range. Costs quite a bit, but for the amount I buy I don't feel it. I even feel safe buying beef liver now and then.
    Be careful who you open up to. Today it's ears, tomorrow it's mouth.
  • ~Chameleon~
    ~Chameleon~ Posts: 11,956 Forumite
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    HariboJunkie wrote: »
    I didn't think veal calves were well cared for. :confused:


    Neither did I until I watched Kill It, Cook It, Eat It earlier tonight (it's being repeated on BBC3 right now) but it seems things have changed a lot in the UK.

    More info here http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/food_matters/veal.shtml
    “You can please some of the people some of the time, all of the people some of the time, some of the people all of the time, but you can never please all of the people all of the time.”
  • HariboJunkie
    HariboJunkie Posts: 7,740 Forumite
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    ~Chameleon~ wrote: »
    Neither did I until I watched Kill It, Cook It, Eat It earlier tonight (it's being repeated on BBC3 right now) but it seems things have changed a lot in the UK.

    More info here http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/food_matters/veal.shtml

    Yes they have but unfortunately veal farming is uncommon in the UK now and the majority of the veal eaten here is imported from the rest of the EU who are not subject to our stringent controls.
  • ~Chameleon~
    ~Chameleon~ Posts: 11,956 Forumite
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    HariboJunkie wrote: »
    Yes they have but unfortunately veal farming is uncommon in the UK now and the majority of the veal eaten here is imported from the rest of the EU who are not subject to our stringent controls.


    I think even that's starting to change now and more places are stocking British veal rather than importing from the continent. It obviously needs more publicity but if demand rose then availability would be much better.
    Buying rose veal

    British rose veal is hard to find, but the more consumers ask for it, the easier it should become to buy. From January 2008, Marks & Spencer will stock only high-welfare, UK-reared ros! veal and have stopped stocking imported white veal. Waitrose sells only British veal but not in all branches. Twenty branches have cuts including osso bucco, rib and tenderloin on the meat counters; a growing number of branches are selling pre-packed escalopes, mince and diced veal from calves reared in open barns on straw. The meat is pink, though Waitrose doesn't call it ros! veal.

    A good independent butcher should be able to respond to customers' requests. Ask yours for British veal. Members of the Guild of Q Butchers are committed to British beef. For the widest choice of cuts, try buying direct from the farm over the internet. Organic ros! veal from Eastbrook Farm, a founding member of the Good Veal Campaign, is sold via Helen Browning Organics. The Alternative Meats website sells ros! veal from farms monitored and approved by the RSPCA Freedom Food scheme.
    “You can please some of the people some of the time, all of the people some of the time, some of the people all of the time, but you can never please all of the people all of the time.”
  • HariboJunkie
    HariboJunkie Posts: 7,740 Forumite
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    ~Chameleon~ wrote: »
    I think even that's starting to change now and more places are stocking British veal rather than importing from the continent. It obviously needs more publicity but if demand rose then availability would be much better.

    Yes. If more people demand it, it should be provided but I still think that the veal calf doesn't have the high standard of living of other beef cattle which are allowed to graze naturally as nature intended. ;)
    Still. I'm probably just finding it hard to get the bad old days of intensive veal farming out of my head.
  • ~Chameleon~
    ~Chameleon~ Posts: 11,956 Forumite
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    Ahhh but how many beef cattle actually get to graze naturally as nature intended these days either?

    Intensive farming on mass scale is widespread amongst all meat producing animals, not just the chickens we saw on HFW's programme, and in many ways I think that's far worse to have huge beef cows crammed into dark barns and never seeing daylight or a blade of grass in their lives either :(

    Of all the meat production in the UK today, the veal calf probably has the best life of all, albeit a fairly short one! ;)


    ETA: http://www.sustainweb.org/page.php?id=148
    15-20% of the beef produced in the UK comes from intensive systems where animals are kept in crowded sheds for much of their lives, before slaughter at 12-16 months.
    I bet most of the meat produced in this way is destined for supermarket shelves too, most likely Tescos :mad:
    “You can please some of the people some of the time, all of the people some of the time, some of the people all of the time, but you can never please all of the people all of the time.”
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